Guide to Visiting Chile’s Torres del Paine National Park

Where to stay

There are three main places where you can stay when visiting Torres del Paine National Park. Each of them has its own charm and plenty of possibilities to organize an unforgettable trip. 

Punta Arenas

This is the capital city of the Magallanes and Chilean Antarctica Region and an important tourism hub. With a population of approximately 145,000 peopleit is the largest urban center in this area and its main economic activities are livestock rearing and tradethanks to its privileged location next to the Strait of Magellan.

From hereyou can also hire boat tours to Los Pingüinos Natural Monumentwhich protects the penguin colonies on Magdalena and Marta islandsand to Francisco Coloane Marine Parkwhere you can see whales between December and April. 

The city is also a tax-free zone (zona franca) with a shopping center (ZonAustral) that houses more than 100 shops.

In Punta Arenasyou’ll find all kinds of services and plenty of accommodations for any budgetincluding hostelsserviced apartmentsand four-star hotels. Its international airportthe southernmost in our countryreceives lots of traffic.

Puerto Natales

Located approximately 150 miles north of Punta Arenasthis small city is considered the gateway to Torres del Paine National Parkand the nearly 25,000 people who live here mainly rely on tourism for their livelihood.

You can find all kinds of services and grocery stores in Puerto Nataleswhich is importantbecause once you’re in Torres del Paine National Parkyou’ll have very limited options to purchase goodsand even if they are availablethey tend to be expensive. Additionallythere are no ATMs inside the park and its surroundings. Thereforeit’s advisable to withdraw money or exchange currency in Puerto Natales.

The city is well accustomed to hosting tourists and it boasts a broad array of lodging options including hostelsserviced apartmentsand even five-star hotels.

If you plan to spend a little time in townyou can visit the Historical Museumgo for a city tour by bikeenjoy a light trek up the nearby Cerro Dorotea (which reaches an altitude of 2,624 feet and provides great views of the city)check out the Última Esperanza fjordand the Almirante Montt Gulf.

From Puerto Natalesyou can also organize excursions to Estancia La Península or to Mylodon Cave Natural Monumentwhich protects the site where the remains of an extinct prehistoric giant sloth known as Mylodon were found.

Inside the park

The park itself will of course be your main base of operations if you plan to visit for anything longer than just a day trip. There are several lodging options within the parkranging from backpacker campsites to a 5-star all-inclusive hotel.  

The park has very strict regulations and some of these will determine your actual accommodation alternativesdepending on your travel dates and programamong other things. For instanceif you’re planning to undertake any of the multi-day trekking circuitsyou must book with the corresponding hostels (refugios) or campsites ahead of time and show proof of your reservation; otherwiseyou will not be allowed to go into the mountain area.

Keep in mind that the ‘O’ circuit encompasses most of the ‘W’ circuitso sometimes you will find accommodation options overlapping. Here’s a broad overview of what you can expect to find in terms of lodging and food.

Lodging within the park and other logistics

Hotels

There are seven hotels within the park and all of them have on-site restaurants. Hotels are a great option if you want an all-inclusive experience or are planning on a short stay and won’t be doing any of the multi-day trekking circuits.

The hotelsheading from east to west within the park are: Tierra PatagoniaHotel Las TorresHostería PehoéHotel Explora Torres del PaineHotel Lago GreyHotel del Paineand Hotel Río Serrano.

Hostels (Refugios)

There are six hostels (refugios) within the parkand they are mostly part of the multi-day trekking circuits and are run by the same companies that organize the camping sites.

Hostels offer shared rooms with single bunk beds (which include a mattress coverpillowand pillowcase)shared bathroomshot showersand food service.

Specific meal service alternatives may vary slightlybut usually consist of half-board and full-board plansas well as individual mealsand boxed lunches that you can take with you when out trekking. Some hostels have small shops.

The Las Torres company runs the following hostels: Refugio Torre CentralRefugio Los Cuernosand Refugio Francés. They are all part of the ‘O’ circuit.

The other hostelsrun by Vertice Travelare as follows: Refugio DicksonRefugio Greyand Refugio Paine Grande. All of them are also part of the ‘O’ circuit.

Campsites

There are nine campsites within the parksome of which are part of the multi-day trekking circuitsand all of which are run by the same two companies mentioned above.

Some are just campsiteswhile others are located adjacent to the hostels. Whenever this is the casethey offer the same meal services as those of the hostels. Converselystand-alone camping sites provide food services only to visitors who have booked in advance.  

Each campsite will give you a series of options for booking at different price pointsdepending on the services you’re interested in. You can also rent camping equipment at each sight (tentsleeping mat and sleeping bag)if you don’t want to have to carry all of that gear with you on your hikes. For thisyou must reserve well in advance. 

The campsites run by Las Torres arefrom east to westas follows: Camping SerónCamping Sector Las TorresCamping El ChilenoCamping Los Cuernosand Camping Francés. All of them are part of the ‘O’ circuitexcept for El Chilenowhich is only part of the ‘W’ circuit.

The campsites run by Vertice Travel arefrom north to souththe following: Camping DicksonCamping Los PerrosCamping Greyand Camping Paine Grande.

All of them are part of the ‘O’ circuitand please be aware that if you do this multi-day trekyou need to book the Dickson and Los Perros campsites together (they can’t be booked individually).

On the eastern shore of Lake Pehoéyou’ll find another campsite that is not part of either of these circuits and is run by a separate company. For more informationvisit their website: https://campingpehoe.com/  

A note about phone/internet connectivity

There is no cell phone signal in the parkand while hostels have a Wi-Fi networkit is not included in the rate of their programs. If you need to access the internetyou can pay directly at each hostel. The rate will depend on the internet speed and time of usebut it usually costs about $5 USD for 30 minutes of use.

Some shelters turn off the electricity at nightso remember to ask about this at the front desk when you check-in.

Cafés and minimarkets

There are also some isolated cafés and minimarkets at some of the most popular locations in the park.

Traditionallythese can be found at the Park Welcome Center (operated by Hotel Las Torres); in Pudetothe pier on the eastern shore of Lake Pehoé; and at Guardería Pingoa ranger station close to Ferrier lookout.

Tips for booking accommodation

The park’s tourism operators recently came together to develop an integrated online booking system. This is a sort of one-stop-shop to book all services within the park. You can access it at: https://www.bookingpatagonia.travel/#/

Other park tips:

Keep in mind that the conditions of attractionsroadsand services within the park may vary. You can find updated information on the official website: https://parquetorresdelpaine.cl

Additionallyyou should heed CONAF’s regulations and tipsespecially if you’re planning on doing the ‘W’ or ‘O’ trekking circuits. These include:

• Plan your trip well. Clearly define the dates you will visit the park and your tour itinerary. Download the official map to see the travel times between each camp and request your booking.

• If you cannot secure bookings in all the camping sites you want to visityou must adapt your itinerary according to the reservations you are able to obtain. Remember that you will not be able to spend the night if you don’t have a reservation.

• You can only spend one night in each camping site.

• You may leave your heaviest luggage at the Park Welcome Center for a feeso you don’t have to carry it around.

Best places to visit

There areof coursemany beautiful places within Torres del Paine National Park. The list below by no means covers everything there is to see herebut it will give you a very good start for the most iconic sites that are easier to visit.

1. Laguna Amarga

This small lake with a depth of 13 ft is located very close to the Laguna Amarga gate. The reason for its name is the bitter taste of its watersdue to their high salt contentwhich leaves a soft white layer on the shore when it evaporates. This attracts many flamingos during the summer.

You’ll find that there’s a strategic lookout from which you can observe and photograph the three towers - Torres del Paine – after which the park is named.

If you go at sunrise or sunset on windless daysyou may even see the mountains reflected in the lagoon.

2. Cascada Río Paine

Located a few miles north of Laguna Amargaalong the road that leads to Laguna Azulthis spectacular waterfall is part of the Paine River. This is the park’s most important watercourse because it supplies water to almost all of its lakes.

Starting at Lake Dicksonits network connects Lake PaineLake Nordenskjöldand Lake Pehoé. You can also see the Torres del Paine from here.

3. Lago Sarmiento

Surrounded by the Patagonian steppeLake Sarmiento is one of the most unique places in the park. It covers an area of approximately 33 square miles and its average depth is 1,150 feet.

Along the shoresyou can find strange and primitive calcium carbonate formationscalled thrombolites. They are very similar to coral and are related to the first expressions of life on the planet.

The lookout by the lake will provide you with amazing views of the Macizo Paine. 

4. Base de Las Torres Lookout

This lookoutlocated at an altitude of 2,300 feetis the closest point from which you can appreciate the characteristic mountains of the park. The Macizo Paine is small but encompasses the three towerswhich stand like granite giants shaped by the force of glacial ice.

The South Tower (also known as Di Agostini) rises over 8,200 feetthe Central Tower reaches an altitude of 8,100 feetand the North Tower (also known as Monzino) is the smallestwith an altitude of 7,420 feet. You will also have great views of the Peineta and Nido de Cóndores hills from the lookout.

To get hereyou’ll need to undertake a full-day trek (approximately 8 hours round-trip) through amazing landscapescrossing hanging bridgesand ascending between rocks.

Starting at Hotel Las Torresyou will go up through Ascencio Valleyand then walk through lenga forests that will take you to the glacial morainewhich you must climb for about an hour to reach the base de las Torres (foothill of the towers).

This trek is one of the sections of the famous ‘W’ circuit.

5. Lake Nordenskjöld and Salto Grande Waterfall

Located at the foot of the Los Cuernos mountains and fed by the Paine RiverLake Nordenskjöld covers an area of approximately 11 square miles and has an average depth of 650 feet. Its turquoise waters flow south towards the Salto Grandea 213-foot-high waterfall that flows into Lake Pehoé.

The Nordenskjöld lookout provides amazing views of this breathtaking landscapewhich remains beautiful despite being among the areas most heavily damaged by the fires that affected the national park in 2011. To reach this lookoutyou’ll walk along a trail that leads through fields of wildflowers.

Just 1 mile from the main routethe Salto Grande lookout is also a great place to see this impressive waterfall up close. It’s located near the pier that connects the lake with the Pudeto sectorand you can reach it by walking up a trail or by car with a 4x4using the vehicle road.

Go with rain jackets and warm clothing to protect yourself from the cold and strong winds that sometimes may blow water your way.

6. Lake Pehoé

Often identified as one of the most beautiful lakes in the worldLake Pehoé covers an area of approximately 8.5 square miles and its waters sometimes reflect the Cuernos del Paine. There are lookouts on both the eastern and western shores of the lakefrom where you can see the Paine Grande and Almirante Nieto mountains.

You can take a ferry to cross itfrom the piers at Pudeto on the eastand Paine Grande on the west. The latter is the starting point for the trail up to the Francés Valley.

7. Grey Glacier and Lake

Grey Glacier is the largest glacier in the parkmeasuring 4 miles wide by 12 miles longand standing 100 feet high. Since it’s an active glacierstemming from the Southern Ice Fieldyou’ll be able to witness icebergs falling from it into Lake Grey.

You can get up-close views of this glacier from the Grey and Playa Glaciar Grey lookouts. They are both great spots to take beautiful pictures. Alternativelyyou can join boat or kayaking excursions with authorized local operators.

8. Villa Cerro Castillo

This small village of approximately 400 people is located 34 miles from the Laguna Amarga gatehalfway between Puerto Natales and the Torres del Paine National Park on Route 9. The town is characterized by its buildings with red roofs and white wallswhich stand out against the area’s blue skies and green meadows.

It’s also a fantastic place to learn about the way of life of the baqueanosor Patagonian cowboyswhose adventurous spirit is honored by the Monument to the Horse at the town entrance.

This village has flourished on the lands originally belonging to Estancia Cerro Castilloone of the largest in the region. You’ll be surprised to see an imposing 28,000 square foot shearing shed built in the early 1900’s that is still standing.

9. Mylodon Cave Natural Monument

Located approximately 15 miles north of Puerto Natales and on the way to the parkthis protected area is made up of three caves where remains of mylodons were found. These were large herbivorous mammals that probably became extinct at the end of the last glacial periodapproximately 11,700 years ago.

In addition to the three cavesthere is a rock formation called ‘the Devil’s seat’. Strategically placed lookouts provide excellent views of the area and its surrounding mountains.

The Monument is open Monday to Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Entrance tickets to the park cost roughly US $12 and must be bought online at least 24 hours ahead of time through the dedicated website.

Things to do in the park

1. Trek the ‘W’ and ‘O’ multi-day circuits

These circuits attract trekking fans from all over the world and there are plenty of dedicated websites and blogs with opinions and tips on how to tackle them. You’ll also find standard itineraries for both of them in the following section of this guide. ThereforeI’ll just provide a brief overview of each circuit here.

The ‘W’ circuit

This is considered a medium-to-high difficulty circuit. It covers approximately 47 miles and takes between 4 to 5 days to complete. The route takes you through the most important landmarks of the parkforming the shape of a ‘W’ along the way.

You will visit Ascencio Valleythe base of the TowersLake NordenskjöldLos Cuernos sectorthe Francés ValleyPaine Grandeand Grey Glacier.

Although the circuit can be hiked starting from the east or the westit is usually done starting in the east. Howeveryou will experience part of it from the west if you undertake the ‘O’ circuit.

The ‘O’ circuit

Also known as the Macizo Paine Circuitthis medium-to-high difficulty trail takes visitors on a counterclockwise circle around the Macizo Paine. It covers approximately 83 miles and takes 7 to 10 days to complete.

The route starts at Hotel Las Torres and encompasses landmarks in the northern part of the parksuch as the Encantado ValleyPaine and Los Perros riverslakes Paine and DicksonDickson and Los Perros glaciersand John Gardner Pass. This is the highest section of the circuitat an altitude of nearly almost 4,000 ftand offers a privileged view of the Southern Ice Field and impressive suspension bridges.

The trail then reaches Grey Glacier and the Playa Glaciar Grey lookout. At this pointit joins the W circuitbut does not include the trails into the Francés and Ascencio valleys.

The ‘O’ circuit can only be hiked in one direction (from east to west). This is one of the things most trekkers like about itbecause it means that you don’t constantly run into people going the other waylike on the ‘W’ circuit. Don’t forget that the ‘O’ circuit is not open during the winter!

The John Gardner Pass is the most difficult section of the hikeso here are some tips for surviving and enjoying it like a pro:

• Wear crampons if you have them. They will help a lot if you hit snow while going through the pass and coming down the slope.

• Start the hike between 4:00 and 6:00 AM when it’s still darkso that you can enjoy the view of the glaciers as the sun comes up.

  This is especially important because there are cut-off times to access John Gardner Pass and a few other sections of the circuit. You are usually not allowed to enter the trail section to the pass after 9:00 a.m.

  Howeverthese times may be modified by the park administration depending on weather conditions. For instancesome trails will be closed if wind speed exceeds 50 mphor if the presence of ice or snow do not allow good accessibility. For detailed information in English on the closure time for each trail sectioncheck out the park’s official brochure.

2. Be an archaeologist for a day

While hereyou’ll have plenty of opportunities to explore archaeological sites where some remarkable discoveries have been madeboth within Torres del Paine National Park and in its surroundings.

The most prominent is the Mylodon Cave Natural Monument. This protected area is a worthwhile stop to learn about an extinct prehistoric giant sloth known as Mylodon. There are three trails that will take you to different attractions.

• The Cueva Grande (Large Cave) interpretive trail takes 30 minutes to complete and leads from the administration to the foot of the main attractionthe Mylodon Cave.

• The Mirador (Lookout) trail takes 45 minutes to complete and leads to the roof of the Mylodon Cavewhere you’ll find a lookout with great views of the area and surrounding mountains.

• The Cuevas y Aleros (Caves and Eaves) trail takes between 3 to 4 hours to complete. It starts at a rock formation called the Devil's Seat and passes the Cueva Chica (Small Cave) and Cueva del Medio (Middle Cave)important sites where remains of extinct fauna and the first human inhabitants of Cerro Benítez have been found. 

To learn more about these first inhabitantsI suggest taking the Patagón Half-Day Tour offered by Hotel Las Torres within the park. On the touryou’ll take a van to Lago Sarmiento gatefrom where you’ll walk nearly 6 miles along mainly flat terrain visiting sites where the Aónikenk native peoples left stunning rock paintings.

You will also see guanacos and other wildlife along the way.

3. Hike along the park’s shorter trails

If you’re not up for a multi-day trekdon’t despair! The park has several shorter and easier trails that will still take you to beautiful places. Each of the following out-and-back trails can be completed in under three hours.

Salto Grande – Mirador Los Cuernos: This low-difficulty trail along Lake Nordenskjöld runs for approximately 3 miles and takes roughly 2 hour to completeround trip. It starts at the Pudeto pier and ends at the Los Cuernos lookoutfrom where you’ll have fantastic views of these mountains.

Camping Lago Pehoé – Mirador Cóndor: This low-difficulty trail from Lake Pehoé runs for approximately 2 miles and takes around 1.5 hours to completeout and back. It starts at the Lake Pehoé campsite and goes up to the Cóndor lookoutwhich provides amazing views of the lake and dozens of aquatic birds. If you’re luckyyou can even spot a condor.

Puente Weber – Mirador Lago Toro: This easy to moderate trail from Lake Toro runs for approximately 2.5 miles and takes close to 1.5 hours to completeround-trip. It starts just a few feet from the bridge Puente Weber and goes up to the Lago Toro lookoutfrom where you can see the place where the Paine River joins the lake.

Guardería Pingo – Pier: This low-difficulty trail along Lake Grey runs for approximately 3 miles and takes close to 2 hour to completeround trip.

It starts at the Pingo Ranger Stationpasses through lush lenga forestscrosses the bridge over the Pingo Riverand continues to the lake shoreending at the pier where you can board the ferry to sail to the glacier. 

4. Organize your own wildlife safari

While in the parkyou will have ample opportunity to observe and photograph wildlife. The lenga forests found on the eastern slopes of the Macizo Paineas well as around lakes Pehoé and Greyare home to Magellanic woodpeckerssouthern parakeetsand other forest birds.

In contrastthe open landscapes of the pampas – grasslands – around Lake Pehoé and Lake Nordenskjöld are dominated by the area’s largest wildlife species. These are the guanaco (the wild relative of the llama)the puma (cougar)and the ñandú (rheaa flightless bird similar to an ostrich).

Although all the park’s lakes are known for their abundance of aquatic birdsLake Laguna Amarga and Lake Sarmiento stand out because during the summer they attract flocks of the Chilean flamingoone of the three flamingo species found in the country.

Other species commonly seen swimming in these lakes are black-necked swansringed kingfishersand Magellan geese. Lake Grey and its surroundings are also great places to spot pumas andif you’re very luckya huemul (a native endangered deer).

5. Head out on sailing and kayaking expeditions

If you like sailingyou’ll be able to enjoy this activity in three places within the national park: Lake PehoéLake Greyand the Serrano River. These boat trips will allow you to experience the park from a totally different perspective.

The ferry crossing of Lake Pehoé is something that many people do as part of the ‘W’ and ‘O’ circuitsusually when leaving the park. Howeverthe navigation is in itself a worthwhile activityand anyone can do it. The trip lasts 30 minutes and connects the Pudeto and Paine Grande sectorswith beautiful landscapes along the way. You can check schedules and rates on their website (it’s now called Catamaran Lago Pehoe).

Sailing and kayaking around Lake Grey are also fantastic experiences. Hotel Lago Grey operates a ferry that provides a 2-hour navigation from the southern shore of the lake to the massive wall of ice that is the Grey Glacier.

The only way to reach the ferry pier is to undertake the Guardería Pingo - Pier trail mentioned abovewhich takes nearly 1 hour to complete. You can check schedules and rates on here.

AdditionallyVertice Travel offers 2.5-hour kayaking excursions to the glacierdeparting from the lake’s northeastern shorenext to Refugio Grey. You can find more information here.

Vertice Travel also organizes navigation tours down the Serrano Riverheading southwest from Lake Grey. A 5-hour navigation to the Balmaceda and Serrano Glaciers will provide you with amazing views of Tyndall Glacier and Monte Balmaceda. You will also be able to walk through a lush native forest and have a traditional lunch at an estancia.

The excursion includes a visit to the neighboring and largely unexplored Bernardo O'Higgins National Parkthe largest park in South Americacovering more than 8.5 million acres. Full tour details can be found on their website.

6. Experience the baqueano way of life

Although the economic importance of livestock estancias has greatly diminished over the last centurythe way of life of the Patagonian cowboysor baqueanos, in these farms remainswith many people still making a living on sheep breeding and preparing the famous lamb barbecue on a stick (asado de cordero al palo). You can experience life as a baqueano both inside and outside the park.

Hotel Las Torres offers half-day tours to live the Baqueano cultural experience by spending a morning with Patagonian cowboys and cowgirls who are descendants of the people who came to work the ranches in this remote region over a century ago.

They will tell you about their special clothingshow you how to properly saddle a horseand share a matean herbal tea made from yerba mate leaves.

This is also a great opportunity to taste some Chilean delightssuch as sopaipillas con pebrea classic combination of fried pumpkin bread and fresh salsa.

With a population of approximately 400 people and located midway between the park and Puerto NatalesVilla Cerro Castillo is also a great place to experience the baqueano way of life and try some local foods.

The town celebrates a Chilean Fest each year at the end of Januarywhich lasts three days and during which attendees can enjoy horseback ridingrodeofolkloretypical foodscraftslive musicand much more. 

At Villa Cerro Castilloyou can have lamb barbecue on a stick and see how they cook it for hours over low heat. Or you can opt for a Patagonian steakwhich consists of a sandwich made with delicious pieces of meatfour fried eggsonionand cheeseall contained in a crispy kneaded bread.

Another typical flavor you should taste is rhubarb. This plant was introduced by English sailors in the early 20th century and has gained so much importance that locals even celebrate Rhubarb Day on January 28. I definitely recommend you try it in jams and ice cream.

If you feel confident of your horse-riding skills and want to explore the park like a baqueanoyou’ll find several tour operators offering horseback riding tours to visit landmarks such as the foothill of the TowersLos Cuernosand Lake Nordenskjöld. This will undoubtedly be the trip of a lifetime!